Complaint filed against pink toys for girls, blue for boys

A civic group filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, taking issue with baby products that come in pink for girls and in blue for boys, a civic group said Thursday. From clothing to stationery and toys, retailers have traditionally assigned blue to boys and pink to girls when they design products, which the civic group Political Mamas says deprives infants and their parents of rights to choose. They also took issue with playhouse toys, such as pretend kitchen ranges

Social AffairsJan. 2, 2020

Time is ticking for KDB to sell life insurance arm

Shareholders of Seoul-based KDB Life Insurance are under intensifying pressure to find a new owner, potentially facing a host of new complex regulations next month when a 10-year grace period expires.　 State-run policy lender Korea Development Bank has yet to find a preferred bidder for the life insurance unit, although Chairman Lee Dong-gull anticipated finding one through an open tender by end-2019.The uncertainty casts doubt on the bank’s sell-off by February, which would otherwise resu

MarketJan. 2, 2020

[Newsmaker] Ahn announces comeback to politics, says Korea stuck in past

Former presidential contender Ahn Cheol-soo on Thursday announced his plans to return to politics, sending ripples through the political arena as parties gear up for the general elections. “The world is changing at the speed of light toward the future. Unfortunately, seen from outside, the country remains in the past. A country that does not think about the future has no future,” Ahn wrote on his social media account. Ahn went on to say that Korean politics have deteriorated sin

PoliticsJan. 2, 2020

[Monitor] More people buy food online: survey

More households in South Korea are buying processed food online, with about 80 percent of such families having bought food items at least once a month on average last year.According to the survey conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Korea Rural Economic Institute, 16.4 percent of the households bought processed food from online platforms at least once a week, compared to 6.7 percent in 2018. Some 43.3 percent purchased at least once in two weeks, compared to 24.3 per

IndustryJan. 2, 2020

Ha Jung-woo to make horror debut with ‘The Closet’

While the last film of 2019 featuring Ha Jung-woo as the lead act, “Ashfall,” still tops box offices, the actor is making a swift return with the first horror movie of the year -- and also the first of his career.“As it’s my first attempt at the genre, acting surprised was the most difficult part of making the movie. You’ll be seeing me act with about 13 to 15 types of surprised faces in the film,” Ha said at a press event for “The Closet” on Thurs

FilmJan. 2, 2020

President Moon vows more reforms to achieve ‘shared prosperity’

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday pledged to continue his reform drive to achieve the goal of “shared prosperity,” naming prosecution overhaul as one of his top priorities. “The new leap that we must achieve in the new year is (the) ‘leap of shared prosperity,” Moon said, addressing a meeting of business leaders and representatives from various fields held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in central Seoul. Listing changes and developments from 2019

PoliticsJan. 2, 2020

Former combined forces No.2 joins ruling party

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea announced Thursday that retired Gen. Kim Byung-joo, a former deputy commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command, had agreed to join the party and run in the general elections in April. “Gen. Kim is a security expert with a vision for a strong armed forces. He knows the ROK-US alliance and international strategy better than anyone as he forged strong alliance with Washington,” the party said at a press briefing at the National Assembly. Kim wa

DefenseJan. 2, 2020

Banking groups vow to regain customers’ trust in 2020

With a new year stretching ahead, the chiefs of Korea’s top-tier banking groups underlined the urgent need to restore customers’ trust, defining the latest market situation as a “crisis.”While pointing to external factors such as slow economic growth and low interest rates, they also referred to disputed sales of derivatives-linked funds that led to extensive customer damages last year.“Shinhan should look beyond market ranking and aim for first class in the true se

MarketJan. 2, 2020

GM Korea's Dec. sales dip 8.5% on lower demand

GM Korea Co., the South Korean unit of General Motors Co., said Thursday its sales fell 8.5 percent last month from a year earlier due mainly to a slump at home and abroad. GM Korea sold 38,818 vehicles in December, down from 42,424 units the previous year, the company said in a statement. Domestic sales plunged 15 percent to 8,820 units last month from 10,428 a year ago. Exports declined 6.2 percent to 29,998 from 31,996 over the cited period, it said. GM Korea launched the US-made Equinox SUV

IndustryJan. 2, 2020

S. Korea, US to adjust combined drills for diplomacy with N. Korea: defense ministry

South Korea and the United States will continue to stage their combined exercises in an adjusted manner to support efforts for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Seoul's defense ministry said Thursday.  The allies have either canceled or scaled back joint drills since 2018 to back diplomacy with North Korea.  "We've maintained our stance that combined exercises with the US shall be adjusted in close coordination between the two sides in order to support diplom

DefenseJan. 2, 2020

Online shopping hits record high in Nov.

Purchases made using the internet and mobile devices in South Korea hit an all-time high in November last year, data showed Thursday, thanks to the popularity of fast delivery and convenient payment options with local shoppers.The total value of transactions made with computers, smartphones and tablets reached 12.7 trillion won ($11 billion) in November last year, up 20.2 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from Statistics Korea.It was the first time that the monthly value of onli

IndustryJan. 2, 2020

Moon cites prosecution reform, fair society as top policy agenda in 2020

President Moon Jae-in made a commitment Thursday to complete prosecution reform and other measures aimed at promoting social justice this year, addressing a meeting with business leaders and representatives from various fields.He vowed "clear change" for South Korea on the basis of what he says is a number of achievements made during his presidency that began in May 2017."'The reform of powerful institutions' and 'fair society reform' are the beginning (of the process)," he s

PoliticsJan. 2, 2020

BOK chief sees modest economic recovery in 2020

South Korea's economy is expected to experience a modest recovery this year, helped by the easing of trade tensions between the United States and China and rising global demand, the country's central bank chief said Thursday."I anticipate that growth and inflation could rebound this year, compared with last year," Bank of Korea Gov. Lee Ju-yeol told reporters, while adding that a sharp increase is unlikely due to global economic uncertainties.Hit by a lengthy US-China trade war and a c

EconomyJan. 2, 2020

[Best Brand] Setting the ‘emotion’: A new approach to branding

Consumers tend to stick to regimens when making purchases. Once satisfied, they remain loyal to a certain product or service, although they might stray from time to time.Consumer loyalty is based on, or goes on to create, brand power, which is representative of the quality, credibility and reputation of the product and ultimately the company. Once a certain brand is continually preferred and consumed, the company seizes a dominant position in the market.Brand equity is the commercial value of co

IndustryJan. 2, 2020

Hyundai Mobis to select outside director for shareholders' rights

Hyundai Mobis Co., South Korea's biggest auto parts maker and a key affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, said Thursday it will select an outside director dedicated to enhancing shareholder value.Hyundai Mobis plans to have shareholders recommend potential outside directors and select one of them who will be in charge of protecting shareholders' rights and interests, the company said in a statement. The move is aimed at strengthening the transparency of Hyundai Motor Group's governance structure and

EconomyJan. 2, 2020

US flies surveillance aircraft after NK warns of 'new strategic weapon'

The United States again flew a surveillance aircraft over the Korean Peninsula, an aviation tracker said Thursday, amid simmering tensions over possible provocative acts by North Korea after it warned of a "new strategic weapon."An RC-135W Rivet Joint of the US Air Force carried out operations over South Korea at 31,000 feet, Aircraft Spots tweeted without specifying the exact time of the operation.This type of aircraft has been spotted conducting missions above the peninsula over the

DefenseJan. 2, 2020

Samsung, LG to unveil TVs with new designs, slim sizes at CES

South Korea's top two electronics giants -- Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. -- are set to introduce TVs with new form factors at the world's biggest tech expo next week as they continue to up the ante to lead the global TV market, industry sources said Thursday. Samsung and LG will exhibit their future TV products at the annual four-day Consumer Electronics Show that kicks off on Tuesday in Las Vegas, Nevada, where more than 4,500 firms from around the globe will showcase their l

IndustryJan. 2, 2020

Super Junior's Hee-chul, TWICE's Momo in romantic relationship

Kim Hee-chul of boy band Super Junior and girl group TWICE's Japanese member Momo are in a romantic relationship, the artists' management agencies confirmed Thursday."After getting along as close colleagues of show business, the two have recently started liking and dating each other," Kim's agency, Label SJ, said. The relationship was also confirmed by JYP Entertainment, the talent agency of TWICE.The artists from some of South Korea's most loved idol bands make them one of the highest

PerformanceJan. 2, 2020

[Newsmaker] Ahn declares plan to resume political activity following year of hiatus

With around 100 days left before the April parliamentary elections, Ahn Cheol-soo, a co-founder of the minor Bareunmirae Party, announced his plan to resume political activity Thursday, following about one year of a hiatus.Ahn, former leader of the party, declared his plan to retreat from the political scene for a while in July 2018 after his defeat in the Seoul mayoral race the previous month. He left South Korea for overseas studies."After I return (to politics), I'll consider how to chan

PoliticsJan. 2, 2020

Massive Hong Kong pro-democracy rally ends in police clashes

HONG KONG (AFP) -- A huge New Year's Day pro-democracy rally in Hong Kong ended in mass arrests and clashes between police and hardcore protesters, as demonstrators sought to carry their movement's momentum into 2020.Hong Kong has been battered by nearly seven months of unrest -- its biggest political crisis in decades -- which has seen millions come out on the streets demanding greater democratic freedoms.Organisers claimed more than a million people gathered for Wednesday's rally, which had ap

World NewsJan. 2, 2020